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  Keldar couldn't hurt the love of his life, therefore his hatred poured over his rival.

  "Look," he told him, pointing at his wife and the baby on the bed. "Look at them, as they're the last thing you'll ever see!"

  Aster glared at him and didn't answer. Those blue eyes had seduced Jessamine. Those blue eyes now staring tenderly at his wife. Keldar's hand went to his belt, but he wasn't wearing a sword. A soldier offered his, but he refused with a sharp gesture.

  He took his knife instead. He'd rip those damned eyes out of their sockets and kill that sight forever. Jessamine tried to stop him, but she was too weak. She screamed her hatred and her anger, but he didn't listen, tearing those blue eyes off his rival, who didn't moan. Aster turned away his disfigured face, but Keldar forced him to face Jessamine until he exhaled his last breath.

  Aster died and Jessamine stared petrified at his bloodied body. Keldar glanced at her, then grabbed the newborn, still boiling with fury. He couldn't touch her, but he wouldn't allow her little bastard to scorn him forever. His heart was bleeding and he wanted to scream, but he wouldn't let her see how much he was hurt.

  "Where are you going?" Jessamine shouted as he stormed out of the bedroom. "Keldar! Give me back my daughter!"

  He ignored her. That night he forced her to watch as her baby was sacrificed by a sect in the castle underground. She knew nothing about those rites and lost consciousness in his arms when the sacrificial knife cut off her baby girl's wail.

  Keldar took her in his arms, feeling content at last. He stared at her sweet face, his heart warm again. She was his. Nobody would touch her ever again.

  ***

  "I hope you abandoned the idea of cheating on me," Keldar said. His tone was icy. The anger was gone, and he behaved as if nothing had happened. Gone was also his passion and any trace of tenderness. "Anyway, as I don't trust you anymore, from now on, you'll wear this."

  "What's that?" Jessamine stared with horror at the... thing. All metal, must be cold on her skin like chains, like him. Her hatred for him was a hundred times stronger than when he had first captured her. Mostly because his unexpected fury had killed another man she had fallen in love with. And now he had recovered his self-control, but he was different. She must have driven him over the edge. But then, so had he. They were hurting each other as much as they could now, a private war had just begun.

  "It's a chastity belt," he mocked. "Used in the Varian Empire. I decided to introduce it to my own house. I'll keep the key around my neck and will take it off only when I want to use you."

  "Bastard!" she hissed. It was useless. They put the chastity belt on her in spite of her resistance. It was like being chained, or locked in the cage again. She was a prisoner one more time - not that she had been free before, but this looked just like the beginning of her stay at the castle. He'd probably forbid her to leave her room as well, now.

  "You're a wild beast, darling," he said with the sarcastic tone he was now using to address his wretched wife. "Should I take it off and calm you?"

  "Don't touch me, you disgusting pig!" She screamed. "I hate you!"

  "Again, my dear?" He shrugged it off. "Only because I tore to pieces Aster under your eyes and had the fruit of your love killed? You'll get over it. You can't win against me."

  "Keldar, I swear one day I will kill you," she said, calming down. "You won't be stronger forever, and I'll get you sooner or later!"

  "In the meantime you're my slave again," he said, bored. He stole a long kiss from her and left, leaving her alone with her desperation.

  ***

  Jessamine brooded in the nursery with her two children. A hooded servant came in with fresh pastries, and as the children assaulted him, light reached his face and Jessamine's heart missed a beat: Carino had managed to enter Keldar's castle!

  She grabbed his wrist and took him to the window. The children didn't bother to follow, very happy to keep stuffing their little mouths with pastries.

  "Carino, how did you...?"

  "I'm a man," he grinned. "Dressed like a servant, nobody would question me. Ileana is waiting outside of the castle."

  Of course, he hadn't come alone. But he had been brave enough to enter the wolf's lair to see her alone. That wasn't something most men of the Queendom of Maadre could do.

  "You look sick, Jess." His smile vanished.

  "I am sick," she said with a grimace. "I need to get out of here."

  "We need you back. Morwenna is unsuitable as queen."

  "I know." She pondered. She knew her younger sister wasn't fit to be queen. "What did she do?"

  Carino gave her news of home after four years of total silence. It was good to listen to him after such a long time. She had missed him, and Ileana, and even Morwenna, who was now twenty-two. She was sorry to hear Theresa was no more, and glad to hear of the volunteers gathered by her best friend, while her sister and the council hadn't done anything to free their rightful queen. Until Ileana and Carino had decided to do it on their own.

  Jessamine missed her other children, Joelia and Desiderio, Notturno's off-springs. Kalvin and Nives weren't the same thing, mostly because she hated their father as much as she had loved Notturno.

  She told Carino about Aster. She showed him Keldar's children. She told him she wanted out. She must go back home. She had to take her throne back and control the situation. It was time to free herself from that prison and get her revenge. She had enough of Keldar anyway.

  "Go to the Sannish king," she said, determined.

  ***

  Ileana bowed in front of the Sannish king. Jorem, Aster's cousin, pulled her up and invited her to tell the reason of her visit. The old king looked very tired: news of his son's death had reached him and he didn't know what to do next.

  "My queen, Jessamine, sends me," Ileana said. "She offers the Kelvan Kingdom if you help her to get rid of her husband."

  "What's your queen's plan?" Jorem asked. After his cousin's death he had become the head of the Sannish army and, being the next in line for succession, also the new heir.

  "Attack the Kelvan royal castle. I can have two ship filled with soldiers backing you up if you need help."

  "Where are the ships?" the Sannish king asked, worried. "Have we seen any black sail lately?" he asked Jorem.

  "No, not even the traders came in this year," his nephew replied.

  "We're anchored in a small archipelago, out of sight," Ileana smiled. "Traders are with the soldiers, they'll come in as soon as this war is over. Jessamine is waiting for us, for you to strike King Keldar straight at home. She'll let you in. But remember she wants Keldar for herself."

  "Keldar killed my son," the old king said, sullen and desperate.

  "My lady had a daughter with Prince Aster, killed by Keldar," Ileana said. "And she's been his prisoner for four years now. Allow her to take revenge on the man who humiliated her and killed two of her lovers."

  "Tell your queen I'll attack in six days," Jorem said. "How come she doesn't want to keep the Kelvan Kingdom?"

  "Our country is bigger than both of your kingdoms, and we don't feel the need to expand our possessions," Ileana smiled. "It's hard to keep something beyond the sea. By giving it to you she hopes to make an alliance and avoid further invasions."

  "I could marry her," Jorem suggested.

  "I believe Jessamine has had enough of foreign kings," she said. "We don't marry. Not even for alliance purposes. Do you accept her proposition?"

  Jorem looked at his uncle who nodded slowly.

  ***

  Keldar was caught completely by surprise when the Sannish attacked his castle, backed up by a small contingent of Amazons. He expected some retaliation after Aster's death, even if he had stopped the invasion campaign, but didn't think someone would betray him. But he found himself prisoner, kneeling in front of the Sannish King, Prince Jorem and his wife.

  Jessamine ripped the key of her chastity belt off his neck and went to rid herself of the uncomfortable metal underwear. Then she
ordered him whipped and left him tied under the sun with no food nor water while she discussed with Jorem and his uncle the terms of their alliance.

  Finally Keldar in chains was thrown on an Amazon ship and the queen went back to her homeland after four years of captivity. The capital welcomed her with flowers and cheers, and the prisoner in bad shape she dragged behind was covered with insults and spat upon. Somebody even threw stones at him.

  Keldar was locked in a cage in the town's main square, still incredulous at the sudden end of his reign. The intervention of the Varian Emperor hadn't been necessary, that snake of his wife had undone him. And now he was kept as an animal just outside the royal palace, and any woman could have a way with him if she wished so.

  Eventually they took him out of the Cage, washed and shaved him, and took him to an arena. He wondered what else Jessamine had in mind for him. Did she want to turn him into a Gladiator? He'd show her he still was a very good warrior.

  But the royal grandstand had an empty throne and Keldar discovered his adversary was her, Jessamine, more beautiful than ever in her metal plates and mail-shirt, her eyes filled with hatred. He wondered why he loved her so much and why she hated him so much in return.

  She smirked and attacked first. Keldar defended himself as best as he could, but he was weakened by the Cage and kept seeing the woman he loved in her, so ended up allowing her to kill him. He lowered the guard and let her blade sink in his body, as cold as a winter day.

  He fell to his knees as she raised the bloodied sword under a standing ovation.

  "Thus dies one who tries to tame the Amazons queen!" she shouted. She was silhouetted against the sun, a merciless goddess of war. The second ovation faded in Keldar's ears. His heart stopped.

  3. Massimo

  Jessamine stared gloomily at the children playing in the palace garden. Her eyes went to Primo, who was now twelve, and thought about her little Prince who hadn't survived. Primo was growing up very well, looking much like Carino at his age. Ileana had been luckier than her.

  He was the eldest, but he allowed the girls to run the game, both his sister Selene and the future queen Joelia. The two girls were nine and enjoyed tyrannizing him.

  Then there was Desiderio, her first surviving boy, now seven. He sat in a corner with Aurora, Ileana's third-born, who listened to him with wide blue eyes. Desiderio had black hair and eyes like his father, never forgotten Notturno.

  Oro and Kalvin, both four, were fighting in the grass. Oro was Ileana's son, and Kalvin should have inherited the Kelvan throne, except his mother had withdrawn him to seal the alliance with the Sannish: there wasn't a Kelvan throne anymore, thus Jessamine had brought him to Maadre along with little Nives, who sat staring puzzled at her brother fighting with Oro.

  "Enough, children!" Ileana rushed out of the palace and divided Oro and Kalvin. "Goddess, Jess, what were you waiting for?"

  "Sorry," Jessamine grumbled. Oro and Kalvin were the same size and neither could win when they fought. Kalvin had been spoiled at his father's castle, but Oro was quickly taking him down to earth: he wasn't a prince anymore, and he was as worthless as any other boy of the Queendom of Maadre.

  "Come on, children, be nice," Ileana said. "Primo, keep an eye on these two."

  She pushed Oro and Kalvin towards her firstborn, then sat near Jessamine with a snort. She stared worried at her queen and best friend's dark face.

  "Jessamine." She took her hand, hoping to bring her back to the real world. "You can't go on like this."

  "I'm managing the Queendom, observing my duties, what else do you want?" Jessamine answered absent-mindedly.

  "I want you to live," Ileana said. "You should have another baby."

  "Six, of which four still live, aren't enough?" Jesamine snapped. "Notturno is dead, Ile, I don't want another man. I had found one, but he has been killed too. That's enough."

  "But you're only twenty-seven! Listen, why don't you do it for our country? Pick up a good looking man and have another baby. But he must be the most handsome, so you'll have the most beautiful daughter and nobody will bother you ever again."

  "Why, isn't Joelia pretty?" Jessamine pouted. "She survived this far, she can easily inherit the throne."

  "What if she doesn't? Will you give it to Keldar's daughter?"

  "Uhm... no, Nives is not in the line of succession."

  "Then you need another daughter, just in case. Jess, I do it for you. I'm your Healer, you should listen to me. I'm not telling you to fall in love again, but to awaken your body and your female instinct. Even your maternal sense seems asleep at the moment."

  "I only want to go to the arena every day and pour out the anger," Jessamine grumbled with a lump in her throat.

  "Keldar is dead, and you can't kill him again," Ileana said patiently. "You can only hurt yourself. You're precious, Jess, too precious to die now. We already had four years without you. Joelia is too young to become queen, so please, calm your anger and your sorrow, and try to enjoy the life you still have in front of you."

  Jessamine pondered, staring into emptiness.

  "All right," she said. "Find me the most handsome man in the country, and I'll see what I can do."

  ***

  The edict traveled throughout the country: women were invited to elect the most handsome man. Local beauty contests would lead the winners to Maadre for a final vote.

  Jessamine left the contest into Ileana's hands. She kept an eye on the children and one on her queenly duties without bothering with the first beauty contest of the country. She had abolished the Modesty Cloth, thus men would show off in public squares, trying to gather votes through shiny muscles and minimal clothing.

  A couple of months later the finalists reached the capital, but she didn't go to see them, leaving to her subjects the honor of picking up the winner.

  Finally Ileana brought her the beauty king. He was a blond twenty-year-old with blue eyes, his forehead furrowed by worry: he was intimidated by his new charge.

  Jessamine smiled at him, softened. He looked like an overgrown child and reminded her of Carino. Her brother had been killed during the assault on Keldar's castle and never made it back to the Amazons country.

  Ileana must have noticed the resemblance too, as she looked upset when she introduced Massimo to Jessamine. Maybe all the women of the capital were unconsciously in love with the queen's late brother, so they had picked somebody who looked like him in his memory.

  "This is the most handsome man of the Queendom," Ileana said formally.

  "Thank you, Ileana." Jessamine let her go and signaled the young man to join her on her garden bench. He obeyed, looking both hopeful and adoring. Just like Aster.

  "Where were you born?" she asked.

  "Up north, near the coast where the Kelvans landed a few years ago," he answered. "My mother was one of the first to fall under their swords. I wished I could fight back and avenge her, but I'm only a Public Man and weaponry isn't one of my skills. I know that bastard of their king humiliated you for a long time, my queen, but you took his life in return."

  "True," she grinned. "Would you like to learn to fight?"

  "I know I was chosen for my good looks, but I wouldn't be afraid to ruin them in the Arena."

  She averted her eyes, thoughtful. The Arena. Notturno and his scars. Carino killed because he wasn't a skilled fighter. Should she abdicate and let her sister rule, retiring to mourn her dead? Poor Joelia would never allow her, though. She was already looking forward to being queen.

  "There won't be any more invasions," she said. "But I like to exercise, you can be my sparring partner if you want."

  "I'd love to!" He beamed. Then was serious again. "Will that be all?"

  She smiled against her will.

  "No. I promised Ileana to have another baby," she said.

  He nodded. He seemed to understand.

  "I'll be honored to be by your side," he said,

  "Thank you. You have the rest of the day to check the Apartment. I'll s
ee you tonight."

  He got to his feet, bowed and left. She followed him with her eyes and sighed. Her sister had been regent during her captivity, and not everybody had been happy with her government. Jessamine should forget her personal losses for the good of her country. Massimo's youth (and the resemblance with Carino, maybe she could give him to Ileana afterward) could help her, but mostly she should find the strength within herself.

  THE END

  ***

  Aknowledgments

  The author would like to thank the readers of Serial Central, the Rome Regulars and the four members of Enigma 23 at David Farland's Writers Forum for their comments and critiques.

  The Tiger

  Miria was thirteen when she found a tiger cub on her aunt's southern estate. She was taking a break from city life and enjoying the luxuriant garden that naturally merged with the nearby jungle, when the pitiful meows attracted her attention. Mother tiger and a pair of cubs lay dead next to the feeble little animal, and Miria took it home, nursing it back to health, to the horror of her elder sister Doriana who didn't think an Amazon princess should take on a wild animal as a pet.

  "But look, he's like the cats we have in Maadre!" Miria said, trying to convince both her sister and her aunt.

  "Wait until it grows," Doriana retorted. "I doubt Mother will let you take it to the royal palace!"

  Miria stuck her tongue out at Doriana. She knew her mother wouldn't deny her.

  Four years later the tiger cub had become a big cat with fangs that obeyed only her. Since at the royal palace of Maadre they were sick of feeding a tiger in the menagerie, the Queen decided to assign her daughter to a province – which would keep the domesticated wild beast away from the capital.

  Miria was seventeen. The southern town was close to the jungle where she'd found her pet, so for both it was like going back home. The palace was inside walls and had only a small inner garden, but Miria could just walk out of the walled city and enter the jungle where she could hunt with her friend.

  Those who hoped to manipulate her on behalf of her youth soon realized that Miria was strong-minded and true to Amazonia's blood. She was probably more fit to be Queen than Doriana, the heiress. Used to doing what she pleased, she didn't really listen to elders' advice. But since she was young, she was more interested in hunting with her friend than the power games of a palace. As long as the women paid their taxes and respected each other, she left them alone. When they tried to force something on her, she denied them.